28 SECTIONAL ADDRESSES. 



Thanks to the wisdom and foresight of others, it has been possible 

 to frame the Government pohcy in tlie light of the experience gained 

 with pre-existing research organisations. The pioneer scheme of the 

 kind is that administered by the Commissioners of the 1851 Exhibition, 

 who since 1890 have awarded research scholarships to selected graduates. 

 "When in 1901 Mr. Carnegie's benefaction was applied to the Scottish 

 Universities the trustees wisely determined to devote part of the revenues 

 to the provision of research awards which take the form of Scholarships, 

 Fellowships, and Eesearch Lectureships. These have proved an im- 

 mense boon to Scottish graduates, and the success of the venture is 

 sufficiently testified by the fact that the Government Eesearch scheme 

 was largely modelled on that of the Carnegie Trust. 



In each of these organisations chemistry bulks largely, and the 

 future of our subject is intimately connected with their success or failure. 

 The issue lies largely in our hands. We must not forget that we are 

 only at the beginning of a great movement, and that fresh duties 

 now devolve upon us. It was my privilege for some years to direct 

 the work of a Chemistry Institute, where research was organised on 

 lines which the operation of the Government scheme will make general. 

 If, from the very nature of things, my experience cannot be lengthy 

 it is at least intimate, and I may perhaps be allowed to lay before you 

 my impressions of the problems we have to face. 



Two main objectives lie before us : the expansion of useful learning 

 and the diffusion of research experience among a selected class. This 

 class in itself will form a new unit in the scientific community, and 

 from it will emerge the ' exceptional man ' to whom, quoting Sir James 

 Dewar, ' we owe our reputation and no small part of our prosperity.' 

 When these words were uttered in 1902 it was a true saying that ' for 

 such men we have to wait upon the will of Heaven.' It is still true, 

 but there is no longer the same risk that the exceptional man will fall 

 by the way through lack of means. Many types of the exceptional 

 man will be forthcoming, and you must not imagine that I am regarding 

 him merely as one who will occupy a University Chair. He will be 

 found more frequently in industry, where his function will be to hand 

 on the ideas inspired by his genius to the ordinary investigator. 



I have no intention of wearying you by elaborating my views on 

 the training required to produce these different types. My task is 

 greatly simplified if you will agree that the first step must be systematic 

 experience in pure and disinterested research, without any reference to 

 tlie more complicated problems of applied science. This is necessary, 

 for if our technical research is to progress on sound lines the founda- 

 tions must be truly laid. I have no doubt as to the prosperity of 

 scientific industries in this country so long as we avoid hasty and prema- 

 ture specialisation in those who control them. We may take it that in 

 the future the great majority of expert chemists will pass through a 

 stage in which they make their first acquaintance with the methods of 

 research under supervision and guidance. The movement is already 

 in progress. The Government grants are awarded generously and 

 widely. The conditions attached are moderate and reasonable, and 

 there is a rush to chemical research in our colleges. Here, then, I 



